More than a third of the population of England and Wales is living in an area dominated by one political party after the latest elections.

Research by the Electoral Reform Society found that after last week’s poll there are 111 councils where at least 75 per cent of councillors hail from a single party, an increase of 16. Almost 19 million people live in “one-party” areas.

The councils are roughly evenly split between Labour and the Conservatives, with three Liberal Democrat strongholds.

After the collapse of the Lib Dem vote in last week’s local elections, Caroline Russell is the sole